diff --git a/src/os/root_unix.go b/src/os/root_unix.go
index af963f472d..ed21afffb5 100644
--- a/src/os/root_unix.go
+++ b/src/os/root_unix.go
@@ -83,8 +83,18 @@ func rootOpenFileNolog(root *Root, name string, flag int, perm FileMode) (*File,
 	fd, err := doInRoot(root, name, nil, func(parent int, name string) (fd int, err error) {
 		ignoringEINTR(func() error {
 			fd, err = unix.Openat(parent, name, syscall.O_NOFOLLOW|syscall.O_CLOEXEC|flag, uint32(perm))
-			if isNoFollowErr(err) || err == syscall.ENOTDIR {
-				err = checkSymlink(parent, name, err)
+			if err != nil {
+				// Never follow symlinks when O_CREATE|O_EXCL, no matter
+				// what error the OS returns.
+				isCreateExcl := flag&(O_CREATE|O_EXCL) == (O_CREATE | O_EXCL)
+				if !isCreateExcl && (isNoFollowErr(err) || err == syscall.ENOTDIR) {
+					err = checkSymlink(parent, name, err)
+				}
+				// AIX returns ELOOP instead of EEXIST for a dangling symlink.
+				// Convert this to EEXIST so it matches ErrExists.
+				if isCreateExcl && err == syscall.ELOOP {
+					err = syscall.EEXIST
+				}
 			}
 			return err
 		})